Return to blogging and football prominence

It has been a long time since I have written a post. I had some major surgery, but have fully recovered. I missed writing, but had to focus on the healing process more than the blog.

Now on to football...

I am proud of the team the 2008 Ravens have become. I have been watching closely throughout the season. They started the year hot, hit a serious bump in the road, and rebounded with a team effort. The team is now sitting at 5-3, in playoff contention and coming off a season sweep of the rival Cleveland Browns.

My observations thus far:

1. John Harbaugh is steady under pressure. Lets not for forget that he is one of the youngest coaches in the league, skipped the period in the normal progression of being either an offensive or defensive coordinator before being a head coach and came from the NFC to the AFC. He has butted heads with star players when needed, added humor to interviews, made positive in game adjustments, and most importantly served as an example to other young members of the team.

2. Joe Flacco's most impressive trait is his character. Sure, Flacco has the physical tools to succeed as a quarterback in the NFL. He is tall, moderately mobile and has a laser rocket arm. It is his composure, desire to learn, and sheer intelligence that will make him a successful QB for a long time. Even when he makes a mistake he comes of the field and immediately talks to coaches about what he just saw.
3. Haloti Ngata is a monster. He is the anchor of a defensive line that has continued their record-breaking streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher against them. He has assumed the lead role, which was previously held by Kelly Gregg. Ngata is an intimidater, a bruiser, and a all-out beast. That is not to say that Trevor Pryce, Terrell Suggs, and others haven't played amazing football, but Ngata has stood out.

4. Ozzie Newsome did a great job this off-season. This year's draft class (Flacco, Rice and the rest) and other pick-ups such as Fabian Washington have made all the difference this season. Without Washington to help in a secondary that seems to be the weak point of the team there would be even more long-yardage touchdowns against the Ravens. Needless to say Chris McAllister is the biggest disappointment of this year.

Its good to be back. There will be much more to come.

Terrell Suggs, tag em and bag em

Well its official, Terrell Suggs will be the recipient of the franchise tag for the Ravens. This is a brilliant move by Ozzie Newsome and the rest of the front office. It was the logical move, but still brilliant. It's entirely possible that every other team in the league would camp out over night in line to get a chance to sign Suggs because of his versatility had the team not franchised him. Mike Preston from the Baltimore Sun sums it up quite well:

If the Ravens don't put the franchise tag on Suggs, he will become one of the NFL's most sought-after free agents. With the tag, Suggs would earn $8.065 million in 2008, the average salary of the top five players at his position. More importantly, he would stay a Raven. As far as Suggs is concerned, he is still a winner. "I talked to Ozzie [Newsome, Ravens general manager] earlier today, and he said they would put the tag on me [today]," Suggs said. "I'm disappointed because I really wanted a long-term deal, and I think I earned it. But this also keeps me in a Ravens uniform, and this is just another way of eventually getting it done. "I'm a Raven at heart. That's my identity," Suggs said. "I started my career here in Baltimore and want to end it here in Baltimore."

This was an important move if the Ravens want to keep their reputation as one of the premier defenses every year.

Suggs needs some hugs

Terrell Suggs may be the next linebacking leader of the Raven's defense, but only if he is actually in a Raven's uniform. Ozzie Newsome recently said that Suggs will be labeled with the franchise tag if he can't otherwise workout a long-term deal with the team. This means that Suggs would stand to make $8.065 million in 2008, but would become an unrestricted free agent after completing that contract.

Though Suggs has been known to get a penalty or two, he is invaluable to the Raven's defense both on and off the field. He can stop the run, protect against the pass, fill holes, and rush the QB. He can also be the eventual replacement for Ray Lewis in the linebacking core. Suggs is only in his fifth year, which means he has at least seven years left in the league barring any injuries. If the Ravens were able to lock down both him and Ed Reed in long-term deals, they would be the face of the franchise until their days are done in the NFL. Defense is the cornerstone of the team and Suggs is a cornerstone of the defense. It would be truly disappointing if Newsome isn't able to work out a deal to keep Suggs around for a long time. For more info check out ESPN's take.